Electrical cover plates, those used to cover electrical outlet boxes and switch boxes used in buildings, homes and other structures have been around since the advent of the availability of electrical power for homes, businesses and commercial buildings. They are typically made of plastic-like material or sometimes metal. They attach to the electrical box, be it an outlet box or switch box with screws that are inserted through screw holes in the cover plate. The screw holes in the cover plate line up with screw receptacles in the electrical box. The electrical cover plates have apertures in them that allow the plate to surround the outlets in an outlet box and the switch or switches in an electrical switch box.
The electrical cover plates, as the name implies, cover the entire electrical box shielding those using the outlets or switches from the electrical wiring in the electrical box. Electrical cover plates thus provide an important safety function.
Electrical cover plates typically have a bland or unassuming color or appearance to allow them to blend into the room décor. However, there have been attempts to make them more decorative and functional. U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,937 issued to Reese, et al. provides a system with two cover plates that allow for the inclusion of information regarding the purpose of the electrical box on one of the plates. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20090014197 of Eastin discloses a two plate system with a removable transparent outer plate that can be painted to match a room color. U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,239 issued to Hill shows a multi-plate system that uses a framing mechanism which allows for the inclusion of decorative features on some of the plates and includes the ability to change the décor on the plates.
However, heretofore no one has developed a system that is easy to install on standard electrical boxes and allows for integration into a room's decor and also provides a variety of functional decorative features as well.
No admission is made that any reference cited herein constitutes prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of any cited documents.